Mold-half for an device for the producing tubes provided with cross ribs

ABSTRACT

Described is a mold jaw half for an apparatus for the production of transversely ribbed tubes, wherein the mold jaw half ( 16 ) has end faces and a base face and in its interior a cooling passage with a coolant feed and a coolant discharge, which open at a spacing from each other at the base face of the mold jaw halves. In order to provide a reduced flow resistance for the coolant through the cooling passage and consequently an increased coolant through-put, resulting in an improved cooling action, it is proposed that the coolant feed and the coolant discharge cross, as seen in a direction viewing on to the end faces of the mold jaw halves, and are oriented in opposite relationship with respect to the advance direction of the mold jaw half. That mutually opposite orientation provides that the coolant is virtually shovelled into the cooling passage.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national stage filing of PCT/DE03/03905 filed Nov.26, 2003 claiming priority to DE 10257363.8-14 filed Dec. 9, 2002.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention concerns a mold jaw half for an apparatus for theproduction of transversely ribbed tubes, wherein the mold jaw half hasend faces which are provided oriented in the advance direction along amold section in mutually parallel and closely mutually juxtaposedrelationship and bear closely and in positively locking relationshipagainst each other and a base face and in its interior a cooling passagewith a coolant feed and a coolant discharge for a coolant, which open ata spacing from each other at the base face of the mold jaw.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An apparatus for the production of transversely ribbed tubes isdescribed for example in DE 197 02 647 C1.

The coolant feed and the coolant discharge are connected to associatedcooling passage portions which are in flow communication at their endremote from the coolant feed and discharge, by means of a passagecommunicating portion.

In known mold jaw halves the coolant feed, the cooling passage mainportion adjoining same, the cooling passage communicating portionadjoining same, the main portion adjoining same and the coolantdischarge adjoining same are of a configuration extending in a U-shape,viewed in a direction on to the end faces of the mold jaw half. Such aconfiguration, that is to say such a formation for the cooling passage,gives rise to a given flow resistance for the coolant as it flowsthrough the cooling passage, the coolant being in particular water. Thatflow resistance causes a correspondingly reduced through-put of coolant,that is to say water, through the cooling passage of the respective moldjaw half. That has a corresponding effect on the productivity of theapparatus for the production of transversely ribbed tubes.

A corresponding consideration applies for the apparatus for theproduction of transversely ribbed tubes, which is known from U.S. Pat.No. 4,492,551, wherein each mold jaw half of that known apparatus hasend faces which along a mold section are provided oriented in theadvance direction in mutually parallel and closely mutually juxtaposedrelationship and bear in positively locking relationship against eachother and a base face and in its interior a cooling passage having acoolant feed and a coolant discharge for a coolant, which open at thebase face of the mold jaw at a spacing from each other. In that knownmold jaw half the cooling passage has a first cooling passage portionand a second cooling passage portion spaced therefrom in the advancedirection of the mold jaw half and a cooling passage communicationportion which connects the first and second cooling passage portionstogether and which extends in a v-shaped configuration. The firstcooling passage portion is connected to a cooling water feed and thesecond cooling passage portion is connected to a cooling water dischargewhich—as can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3 of that state of the art—asviewed in a direction viewing on to the end face of the mold jaw half,are oriented in mutually parallel relationship. Therefore, in adirection viewing on to the end face of the mold jaw half, therespective cooling passage is of a configuration extending in aU-shape—similarly to the case with the apparatus in accordance withabove-mentioned DE 197 02 647 C2.

In consideration of those factors the object of the invention is toprovide a mold jaw half of the kind set forth in the opening part ofthis specification, wherein the coolant or water through-put through thecooling passage is increased.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, in a mold jaw half of the kind setforth in the opening part of this specification, that object is attainedin that the coolant feed and the coolant discharge cross—as viewed in adirection viewing on to the end faces of the mold jaw halves—and areoriented in opposite relationship with respect to the advance directionof the mold jaw halves in order to provide that the coolant is shovelledinto the cooling passage.

By virtue of such a configuration for the cooling passage, that is tosay the coolant feed and the coolant discharge of the cooling passage,in an orientation in opposite relationship to the advance direction ofthe mold jaw, the coolant, preferably water, which flows into thecoolant feed, is so-to-speak shovelled into the cooling passage so thatan increased level of water or coolant through-put and a correspondingimprovement in the cooling action of the coolant or water in the coolingpassage of the mold jaw half is afforded. An apparatus for theproduction of transversely ribbed tubes, which is equipped with mold jawhalves according to the invention, enjoys a correspondingly improvedlevel of productivity.

In the case of the mold jaw half according to the invention, the coolantfeed and the coolant discharge—viewed in a direction viewing on to theend faces of the mold jaw halves—can be of a mirror-image symmetricalconfiguration in order to achieve correspondingly symmetrical flowconditions through the cooling passage of the mold jaw half.

It has proven to be advantageous if, in the mold jaw half according tothe invention, the coolant feed and the coolant discharge—seen in adirection viewing on to the end faces of the mold jaw half—are each ofan arcuately curvedly extending configuration, because, by virtue ofsuch a configuration, the coolant or the water is optimally shovelledinto the cooling passage of the mold jaw half upon the advance movementthereof and is discharged again through the coolant discharge. Accordingto the invention the coolant feed and the coolant discharge—viewed inthe advance direction of the mold jaw—are laterally displaced relativeto each other and adjoin arcuate cooling passage main portions which,seen in the direction viewing on to the end faces of the mold jaw half,are in mutually spaced parallel relationship and which—viewed in theadvance direction of the mold jaw—are provided in coincidentrelationship.

Mold jaw halves according to the invention can be easily produced in acasting process, in which respect it will be appreciated that thecasting process is followed by a finishing machining process. Mold jawhalves according to the invention have a cooling passage with a reducedflow resistance so that the through-put of coolant or water through thecooling passage is increased and consequently the cooling action isimproved.

Further details, features and advantages will be apparent from thedescription hereinafter of an embodiment illustrated in the drawing ofan apparatus for the production of transversely ribbed tubes or two moldjaw halves of said apparatus and a mold jaw half in a direction of viewon to the end faces thereof and an illustration of the cooling passageof such a mold jaw half as a front view and a side view.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a cut-away plan view of an embodiment of an apparatus for theproduction of transversely ribbed tubes,

FIG. 2 is a view in section taken along section line II-II in FIG. 1 toshow two mold jaw halves which at the mold section of the apparatus ofFIG. 1 form a mold passage for the production of a transversely ribbedtube,

FIG. 3 shows a mold jaw half viewing in the direction of the arrow IIIin FIG. 2, that is to say in a direction viewing on to the end facesthereof,

FIG. 4 shows an illustration of the cooling passage of the mold jaw halfof FIG. 3 in the direction of view corresponding to FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the cooling passage of FIG. 4 viewing in thedirection of the arrow V, wherein FIGS. 4 and 5 also still show the gateportions of the cooling passage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a cut-away view from above showing an embodiment of theapparatus 10 for the production of transversely ribbed tubes with a basearrangement 12 having two endless guide paths 14 for mold jaw halves 16.Only two of those mold jaw halves 16 are shown in FIG. 1. The apparatushowever is provided with such a number of jaw halves 16 that the moldjaw halves 16 bear in positively locking relationship against each otheralong the respective guide path 14.

FIG. 2 is a view in the direction of the arrows II-II in FIG. 1 showingtwo mold jaw halves 16 which bear snugly and in positively lockingrelationship against each other with their end faces 20 and 22 along amold section 18 (see FIG. 1), along which the two guide paths 14 areprovided in mutually parallel and closely juxtaposed relationship, sothat the mold jaw halves along the mold section 18 form a mold passage24 in which a transversely ribbed tube is formed in per se known manner.

To cool the mold jaw half 16 it is provided with a cooling passage 26,as is also illustrated in FIG. 3. The cooling passage 26 of therespective mold jaw half 16 has a coolant feed 28, an arcuate coolingpassage main portion 30 adjoining the coolant feed 28, a cooling passagecommunication portion 32 adjoining the cooling passage main portion 30,a cooling passage main portion 34 adjoining the cooling passagecommunicating portion 32, and a coolant discharge 36 adjoining thelast-mentioned cooling passage main portion 34.

The coolant feed 28 and the coolant discharge 36 cross as viewed in adirection viewing on to the end faces 20 and 22 of the mold jaw half 16,as is apparent from FIG. 3. In FIG. 3 the advance direction of the moldjaw half 16 is indicated by the arrow 38. FIG. 3 further shows that thecoolant feed 20 and the coolant discharge 36 are oriented in oppositerelationship with respect to the advance direction 38 of the mold jawhalf 16. That is indicated by the arrows 40 and 42 associated with thecoolant feed 28 and the coolant discharge 36. The arrow 40 indicates theflow direction of the coolant into the cooling passage 26 and the arrow42 indicates the flow direction of the coolant out of the coolingpassage 26.

As seen in a direction viewing on to the end faces 20 and 22 of the moldjaw half 16, the coolant feed 28 and the coolant discharge 36 are eachof an arcuately curvedly extending configuration, as can be seen fromFIG. 3, so that, during the advance movement of the mold jaw halves 16in the direction of the arrow 38, the coolant is so-to-speak shovelledinto the cooling passages 26 of the mold jaw halves 16 so that the flowresistance through the respective cooling passage 26 is reduced and thecoolant through-put is correspondingly increased so that the coolingaction of the coolant for cooling the respective mold jaw half 16 iscorrespondingly improved.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a cooling passage 26 alone, that is to say withoutthe associated mold jaw half. It will be apparent from FIG. 4 that thecooling passage main portions 30 and 34 are provided oriented inmutually spaced and parallel relationship. FIG. 5 shows that the coolantfeed 28 and the coolant discharge 36 of the cooling passage 26—viewed inthe advance direction 38 of the mold jaw half 16—are laterally displacedrelative to each other. That lateral displacement is illustrated in FIG.5 by the double-headed arrow 44. The cooling passage main portions 30and 34—viewed in the advance direction 38 of the mold jaw half 16—are ofan arcuately extending configuration between the coolant feed anddischarge 28 and 36 and the cooling passage communicating portion 32remote therefrom and are provided in coincident relationship, as viewedin the advance direction 38 of the mold jaw half 16, as can be seen fromFIG. 5.

FIGS. 4 and 5 also show the gate portion 46 adjoining the coolant feed48, the gate portion 48 adjoining the coolant discharge 36 and two gateportions 50 which project integrally in respect of material away fromthe cooling passage communication portion 32. The gate portions 46 and48 are severed along the double-dotted line 52. The gate portions 50 aresevered along the double-dotted line 54.

The same details are denoted in each of FIGS. 1 through 5 by the samereferences so that there is no need for all features to be described indetail with reference to each of those Figures.

1. A mold jaw half for an apparatus for the production of transverselyribbed tubes, comnprising; a mold jaw half having end faces which areprovided oriented in the advance direction along a mold section inmutually parallel and closely mutually juxtaposed relationship and bearclosely and in positively locking relationship against each other and abase face, and having in its interior a cooling passage with a coolantfeed and a coolant discharge for a coolant, which open at a spacing fromeach other at the base face of the mold jaw half wherein the coolantfeed and the coolant discharge cross, as viewed in a direction viewingon to the end faces of the mold jaw halves, and are oriented in oppositerelationship with respect to the advance direction of the mold jawhalves in order to provide that the coolant is shovelled into thecooling passage.
 2. The mold jaw halves as set forth in claim 1, whereinthe coolant feed and the coolant discharges, seen in a direction viewingon to the end faces, of the mold jaw halves are of a mirror-imagesymmetrical configuration.
 3. The mold jaw halves as set forth in claim1, wherein the coolant feed and the coolant discharge, seen in adirection viewing on to the end faces of the mold jaw halves, are eachof an arcuately curvedly extending configuration.
 4. The mold jaw halvesas set forth in claims 1, wherein the coolant feed and the coolantdischarged, as seen in the advance direction of the mold jaw halves, arelaterally displaced relative to each other and adjoin arcuate coolingpassage main portions which, seen in the direction viewing on to the endfaces of the mold jaw halves, are in mutually spaced parallelrelationship and which, seen in the advance direction of the mold jawhalves, are provided in coincident relationship.